Chapter 7

# 7

User Manual for the Reincarnated 007

Occupation (1)

I am not a philanthropist.

In fact, I am the opposite of that. I am the type of person who stands in front of me, grinning like Lee Ji-hye.

Some of the guys nodded at me, looking as if they were happy to see me join, holding a spear and a sword like a hero who has just turned the tide.

‘This isn’t right…’

If I keep this up, I’m going to end up being a meat shield.

"Though I said it grandly, there’s not much to guide you. The only thing is that the living spaces for women and men are separated."

"Well, this is more than enough."

"I’m grateful for your words. I was a bit worried…"

"What’s there to worry about? I’m already grateful for being invited."

"You’re very kind. Hehe. Can I call you Oppa Duk-gu?"

"Sure… do as you like…"

"You’re reliable."

The innocent Park Duk-gu was already half-caught by Lee Ji-hye. It seems he feels good being called Oppa by a woman six years older than him.

"Is it okay to call you Ki-yeong?"

"The title doesn’t matter, so call me whatever you like."

He doesn’t even look at Jung Hyeon much.

"Then I’ll call you Oppa Ki-yeong. Hehe. Ah! Hyeon, come this way. There are no specific rules for living here, but Hyun-sung will explain the details to you. I’ll teach you a few things, Hyeon. Get a good rest today."

"Ah… Yes! Ki-yeong, I’ll see you later. Thank you for everything."

"Yes. I’ll see you later."

"Yes!"

Jung Hyeon bowed and then entered the women’s quarters with Lee Ji-hye.

They are probably receiving various rules and regulations, but to be honest, I don’t care about their affairs.

What I’m interested in is how I should act from now on.

"Brother, this place seems somewhat livable, doesn’t it?"

"It does, but…"

"Is there a problem?"

"It’s not a big problem. Just…"

"Just?"

"It’s nothing."

"Really, you’re so boring…"

I frowned a bit at the thought of becoming a meat shield to protect this safe haven, but if I change my perspective, it’s not a bad deal.

‘I just need to get what I can.’

There are countless things to gain here.

Safe hunting with Kim Hyun-sung, obtaining an occupation through hunting, and pulling Jung Hyeon to my side.

Of course, there will be some issues during the process, but that’s not my concern.

As expected, Kim Hyun-sung called Park Duk-gu and me the next morning.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Thanks to you, I slept well."

Park Duk-gu responded briefly to Kim Hyun-sung’s words.

I couldn’t sleep properly when it was just Duk-gu and me. Compared to taking turns to nap, this was a great rest.

I already had a rough idea of what he was going to say. Since he was taking his time, I decided to speak first.

"I didn’t see many people who can fight. Most are women or injured, and the rest have no will to fight."

"Yes, I’m ashamed, but that’s the case."

"How is this place maintained?"

I opened with a direct question because I was genuinely curious.

Kim Hyun-sung paused for a moment before slowly speaking again.

"To be honest, the situation isn’t good."

As expected.

I rubbed my chin and continued.

"No food or water. No people who can fight. Yet, we have to take care of 30 children, maybe more. The number will only increase in the future."

"..."

"Until now, we’ve managed with the food and water Kim Hyun-sung had prepared in advance, but the resources we gathered are running out faster than expected. We need to find a new solution. Isn’t that right? Bringing resources from the scattered starting points is impossible for now. We’re struggling just to deal with the monsters in front of us, and the number of people who can’t fight is increasing."

"They are not a burden."

"They might not be a burden in the future, but they are now."

Kim Hyun-sung didn’t respond to my words. He might acknowledge it to some extent.

"To be honest, given the current situation, leaving this place might not be a bad choice."

"Are you leaving, Brother?"

Shaking my head, I replied to Park Duk-gu.

"No, but staying here won’t benefit us."

"Ah…"

"Hyun-sung, my friend and I are not extraordinary people. My friend might be helpful, but I might not be. I’m just holding a spear."

"..."

"Still, we can fight and be of help. My friend can do the same."

"Thank you."

He must have been quite exhausted, both physically and mentally, and might be approaching his limits. Our appearance must have been a great relief.

"I am not a volunteer."

"Ah…"

"I think I understand what you’re thinking, Hyun-sung. You probably want us all to survive and return together. I can empathize and understand your intentions. However, I’m different from you. I’m not the type to sacrifice for others, and I don’t think about everyone surviving together. You can call me selfish, but…"

"No, I understand. Of course, you must have your own desires."

He communicates better than I expected.

I was afraid he might draw his sword out of a sense of justice, but I’m grateful he’s being reasonable.

"Then I’ll say this. First, I want ownership of a portion of the resources we discover in the future."

He nodded slightly.

He probably thinks this is not a big deal.

"And…"

"..."

"I want to be involved in your future plans."

Kim Hyun-sung’s expression stiffened.

After a brief pause, he looked at me with a strange expression, slightly surprised. However, a faint smile gradually appeared on his face.

"You already know."

"At the starting point, the strange woman gave two options: conquest and survival. Personally, I think the second option is impossible. Well, if a few people monopolize a lot of resources, it might be possible. But I don’t remember hearing how long we need to survive or how many people need to survive."

"..."

"If the goal is the second option, gathering survivors is not a good choice. They will die of hunger even if they aren’t eaten by monsters. It’s a logical conclusion."

This is a deduction based on the fact that I know he is a reincarnated person.

However, he seems to be impressed by my ability to piece together a story from small pieces of information.

He even slightly bowed his head, acknowledging my deduction.

"It’s a match."

"I’m the one who should be grateful…"

I shook Kim Hyun-sung’s hand. I could see a strange sense of trust in his eyes.

He must know I’m not strong.

However, in his mind, I might be a useful talent, like a strategist or an administrator.

* * *

"Brother!"

"I know."

Since Kim Hyun-sung joined, hunting has become simpler.

Not only that, but my belief in my status window, which I see with my mind’s eye, has become even stronger.

"Duk-gu!"

"I’ll go."

Clearly, his way of using the sword is familiar.

He occasionally makes intentional mistakes to hide his true skill, but his reactions when I or Park Duk-gu are in danger are not those of someone who has just started using a sword.

‘Good.’

While Park Duk-gu is dealing with a few monsters, Kim Hyun-sung and I take care of the visible ones.

We tap the shield with the sword to draw the attention of the noise-sensitive monsters and quickly dispatch them.

My spear still shakes a bit, as I haven’t fully adapted yet.

When I thrust the spear into a monster charging at Park Duk-gu, it impaled and fell.

Meanwhile, Park Duk-gu smashes the monster with his shield.

"Phew!"

"More are coming. I’ll hold them off for a moment. In the meantime…"

"Understood. Duk-gu, gather the food."

"I’m already doing it, Oppa Ki-yeong. Did this guy practice kendo or something on Earth?"

"I don’t know. Maybe he did a similar sport. Or it could be the influence of his occupation."

"He fights so fiercely."

He uses his high agility to dodge and cut.

It looks simple, but it’s not at all.

Park Duk-gu knows that Kim Hyun-sung is far ahead, as Kim Hyun-sung has already revealed that he has an occupation.

Since then, Park Duk-gu has seemed a bit anxious.

He’s stressed because the occupation he’s been waiting for hasn’t opened up.

"Phew!"

When I finally killed the last remaining monster, Park Duk-gu nodded quietly.

He looked very surprised.

"Seems like there aren’t many monsters around this starting point."

"Probably because this area has already been cleared."

"By Kim Hyun-sung?"

"Most likely. There’s a lot of food. No survivors, though… No, if there were survivors, there wouldn’t be any food left."

"Really, I never thought three of us could gather food from a starting point."

"Your help was significant."

"Actually, what did I do? It was all that guy’s work."

"Not really. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to get here."

It’s not just a comforting statement.

It’s a fact that we could come here because of Park Duk-gu. No matter how skilled Kim Hyun-sung is, it’s impossible to fend off all the monsters coming from all directions.

The boy is still growing, and his presence as a front-line shield must have significantly reduced the burden.

I was checking my status window to see if any stats had increased when Park Duk-gu suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Brother!"

Surprised by Park Duk-gu’s voice, I saw something appear in my field of vision.

[Several occupations have been unlocked. Please choose the one you need.]

‘Good.’

It’s faster than I expected. I could feel that we had quickly cleared the area with Kim Hyun-sung.

[View unlocked occupations.]

[Warrior - Common Tier]

[Archer - Common Tier]

[Mage - Common Tier]

[Commander - Rare Tier]

A very appealing occupation caught my eye.